A thousand thoughts rush through my head as I charge down the hallway, but I can't make them out for the blood pounding in my skull.

I will kill whoever touched her, no matter who it is.

My vision clouded with blood lust, I can barely make out where I'm going, using Isabella's pain-filled cries to guide me.

First I will pin down the shitbag that harmed what is mine, breaking every bone in their worthless body that I can, before slowly sinking my claws deeper and deeper into their chest, puncturing the heart and watching as their chest cavity slowly fills up with blood and they suffocate.

Or maybe I'll burn them alive instead, watch as they scream in agony until they become nothing but littered ash.

Turning around the corner, I stop dead in my tracks at the sight before me.

Mate.

She's lying on the ground pinned down in her human form with two guards stood over her. One of them pushing his dirty claws into her leg as she cries in pain.

Why isn't she fighting? Is she dying?

At that thought and the sight before me I lunge, letting out a guttural cry that is a mix of all three of my spirits as my heart slowly breaks.

They whip their heads up and smirk, not at all fazed that I'm running full pelt at them.

"Ah so you do know her? Mate I assume." He laughs and I growl at him, which he returns.

My legs thrum beneath me as the energy courses red through my veins. I'm out for blood and blood I shall get.

The energy under my skin ripples before trailing down to my paws, heating the ground beneath me. My fox is in full control and she can't control her emotions as she runs towards her mate and the bastards that hurt her. Anger fuels her as our whole body heats to an unnatural level, the floor beneath melting just a fraction enough to leave an indent of her paws.

As one guard shifts ready to fight, the one standing over Isabella retracts his claws and plunges them into her chest, forcing another painful cry from Isabella.

The noise sends my blood cold before it runs intensely hot and fire erupts all alone my fur. The flames lick at my skin as I lunge for guard stood atop my precious mate. Digging my claws into his torso as I push him off her. The flames transfer from my paws to his punctured skin, setting him alight. He cries in pain at the sensation but before he can shake me off, I snap his neck in my jaws.

Turning around to the other guard who is stood frozen in shock I let out a growl. The flames dance a little more aggressively as my blood lust intensifies.

When our eyes meet, his body trembles before he makes an attempt to turn and flee.

I watch with amusement at the mighty guard who was offering me on just a moment ago, is now running with his tail tucked beneath his legs.

A subtle cackle left my lips as I chase him down the hall. I send out a trail of fire from my paws that runs down each wall of the corridor before circling back and cutting off his escape route.

He halts in his tracks as the fire cuts him up, and turns to face me.

This will be fun. Mitzi, your turn.

Mitzi takes over and I watch as she stops and swishes her tail in anticipation before prowling towards the much larger wolf.

The fear in his eyes is evident but I didn't need to look into them to know. I can practically smell it over the scent of fire, the two mingling in the air to create a mouthwatering scent.

This is the part of me that everyone should fear, the dark blood lust that lies within me, the want to destroy everything around me. I haven't felt this way since my him, but now, it's Isabella's cry for help that rings in my head, swimming in my blood and lighting me up from the inside out.

I tunnel vision on nothing but revenge and possession. Mitzi seethes in her skin at the reminder before laughing cruelly.

"You messed with my mate." She calls out venomously. "You fucking touched what was MINE, and you will pay... in blood and sweat... and ash." Her voice ringing clear between the flicker of flames that danced around us.

A cry left the poor wolf's mouth at her words, before she launched at him, pinning him to the floor.

He writhed beneath her and she sunk her claws in to hold him steady. "Hold still mutt." She muttered as she pulled out her submerged claws, before driving them back into his chest.

He let out a pain filled cry as his blood seeped out of his disgusting skin and pooled at the floor beneath him.

Mitzi drove her claws in and out with every breath, until his stopped. "Goodnight you bastard." She whispered.

Dead. He was dead.

I mentally smirked as she withdrew her claws and shook her paws which were coated in his slimy blood. Shaking out her back legs as well, as the blood pooling beneath the body was now a meter wide all around him, she growled out "Stupid fucker can't even bleed right."

I gently push control back and sheath my claws before bounding over to Isabella's still body.

Please don't let her be dead.

She's not dead, I didn't feel her die.

God let me have my moment.

We don't have time for you to have a 'moment'.

Ignoring Mitzi, I turn my attention back to Isabella.

'Izzy can you hear me?'

...

'Izzy please, say something, move goddamn it! I can't lose you, I can't lose you Iz. Please'.

I slowly sobbed, beside myself with grief. How could I have let this happen? My skin burns as the inward anger consumed me. It was all my fault.

Pull yourself together Em, there might still be time. You know what you have to do, but we cannot afford to waste anymore time. What if those mutts come back?

Nodding my head gently as I wiped my tears, I shuffled myself across the cold concrete floor so I could kneel over her lifeless body. I wish it didn't have to come to this. The last time I tried it, I almost killed 3 other people. Slowly, I move my hands so my palms are face down to her chest, anxious for what I'm about to do. Looking down at her unresponsive state, a deep and mournful sadness wells within my chest and I take a deep breath to try and steady my emotions. I focus on the anger and the pain, letting it flood my consciousness until it feels like any second its going to overflow and I'm going to explode.

I imagine the red hot anger as a searing ball of energy in my mind, the spindles that make it up, individual flames dancing together. It grows larger as my breathing quickens, my body apprehensive for what is to come. Exhaling, I visualise the ball of anger flowing down through my skin, filtering into my veins and quickly lighting my body alight with a deep painful ache. The fire infiltrates every cell of my body, my skin prickling at the sensation.

Directing the heat to flow down my arms to my hands, I press my hands to her skin and mutter a quick "sorry", before forcing it out of my skin cells, into Isabella's. The fire will first fill her skin cells, before reaching for her veins and travelling to her heart. It took all of about 2 seconds to happen, and her body convulsed with pain. She jolted awake, screaming, but unable to move. I quickly retract my hands as the heat slowly dissolves within me. I reach forward to try comfort her, but all it causes is more pain, as my hands burn her skin further.

"What the fuck?! Why are you so hot?" She says between rasped breaths.

"Sorry." I mutter, clasping my hands together to avoid touching her again. "Are you okay?"

She props herself up on her hands, and gives me a small smile before answering, "yeah. I mean I'm not dead, so that's good right?"

I give a subtle smile as she gets up shakily.

"Come on, let's get out of here." I say, casting a glance over to a bleeding Nathan slumped against the wall.

Izzy follows my gaze. "He'll wake any minute, come on." She urges.

As we walk, she throws a final glance over her shoulder, and sees the lake of blood I left.

"Emilia, what the-". She gasps.

"Leave it." I say, pulling on her arm. "We need to catch up to the others."

— • ⚡️Isabella ⚡️// 🤍 Athena 🤍• —

Ignoring the scene behind me, I focus on the fight ahead, traipsing down the corridor, attempting to ignore the lingering heat that flows through my veins like a current.

Dizziness clouds my body as I try to walk. I stumble into Emilia, who catches my arm and steadies me.

"Athena." She calls out as I feel the darkness take over.

Isabella I need to take control of your human form, and allow you to rest. I'm going to block you from seeing or hearing anything to allow you to rest as quickly as possible. Okay?

Okay.

*Athena takes control of the human form, pushing Isabella back*

"Can she hear me?" Emilia asks.

"No, I shut the link." Replies Athena. "She can't hear what I or anyone from the outside world is saying. I need to take charge so Bella can heal after you practically burnt us alive." Saying the last part in a slightly spiteful tone.

"I did what I had to, to ensure both you and her survived." She replies. Bella's human form much steadier now Athena had taken control. Allowing her to at least walk in a straight line.

"I understand that of course. It's simply the fact that Bella's spirit and physical body took the brunt of the pain when you resurrected us. I need to allow that part of us to heal and rest if we are to have any chance of getting out of here alive. My status is irrelevant to the matter."

She nods her head and stops, turning to look at me. "Are you going to use your power to get us out of here? You need to stop being so afraid of releasing it."

My eyes glow in disagreement. "I'm sorry but I don't think that's necessary. Any unwanted attention is dangerous. Besides the full affect and side effect of my strength and power is not known yet, it could be detrimental to use that right now as Bella's human form is still healing. The situation is not dire enough to require such an intense release of power."

Emilia nods her head in acquisition. "Come on then. Let's go help the other two."

Athena shifts into her wolf. The change seemingly painless, although slightly more than usual due to the current circumstances. The wolf representation of Athena and Bella's spirit shows the injuries sustained. Her usually bright fur, seemed charred in places, darkening her limbs and face.

This is because the bodies of human and wolf are simply vessels for the spirit beings, and therefore are easily damaged. It is the spirits within that hold the power and strength. Which is why Bella must rest.

Next to me, Emilia shifts into her fox, the wolfsbane still powering through her blood, preventing her from transitioning into her wolf form.

I unblock Isabella from the darkness that surrounds her, in case she wants to contribute to the situation. Although she needs to heal, I also need her help, this isn't just my body and her thinking could aid us in getting out of here relatively unharmed.

We head back towards the entrance, turning the final corner of the corridor, opening our view up to the front hall, which is filled with fighters in both wolf and human form. Just behind them, is the door to our freedom. All of our freedom. I'm not leaving here without getting all four of us out.

The scent of my wolf body and spirit filters through the air, grabbing the attention of a few warriors. One in particular seemed more challenged by the smell. The alpha.

As my spirit is in control of the body, it is my powerful aura being diffused into the room, rather than Isabella's normal human smell. She is not human, but her hybrid scent has yet to develop.

The alpha locks eyes with me and lets out a challenging growl. Okay you wanna fight tough guy let's fight.

"The big kitten is mine." I link Emilia.

"Okay. Be careful. I'm right here if you need me." She links back.

I shake my head and turn to face the alpha. "I got this. You go help Claire and that woman from the cell."

She darts off to the left, as I creep towards the alpha, hackles raised. What was his name again? Is it even important?

I glance over his shoulder. Claire and the cell woman are holding their own against five guards. I'm not sure how, but their odds improve as Emilia joins them.

The alpha bares his teeth at me, and I do the same in response. I'm not scared of this big fur-ball.

It's becoming increasingly obvious that he isn't going to make the first move, and I don't want to wait around till dusk for him to attack. In that time more reinforcements could come, sliming our chances of escape.

I pounce, claws extended. He notices and jumps towards me. Colliding in the air, we lock together. Claws scraping at one another. Teeth snapping at muzzles.

Wrestling him off me, I move to the side as he rolls away. He's still down, so I take the opportunity. I lunge towards him, but I was too slow, he kicks me back so I'm sprawled on the floor.

He leans over me, snaps his teeth at my neck. Jugular. "Submit." He demands.

Never I think.

My limbs ache, but I push him away. Digging my claws into his torso, pulling me with him. Now I have the advantage.

I let some of my aura seep through my pores. "I will never submit to a coward like you." I sneer.

His eyes widen at the realisation that I too am an alpha. Not the same kind. Stronger than him, but he doesn't know that. Not yet.

My teeth grip his neck, as I slash his body a few more times. Just for good luck.

"Change." he begs.

Really? This idiot thinks I'm going to change back into my human form, in the middle of a fight. Does he have any brain cells?

I growl into his fur, biting down just enough so he knows I'm not playing around. Blood seeps into my mouth, making me salivate. God I've missed this taste. It's not enough blood to kill him. Just enough so he knows he's lost.

"Okay, I submit. Now get off me." He pleads.

I scoff. "Really. Is that how you talk to your superior? A please would have been nice."

His body deflates beneath me, and I release him. He gives me a wary look and drags himself across the floor, away from the middle of the fight.

Standing up straight, alert. I scan the room for my companions.

A low growl is heard from the corner of the room, and a few guards that litter the sidelines, ignore the scene before them and rush to their alpha. Their weak alpha. I mean he lasted all of what 3 minutes?

Shaking my head in sad amusement, I turn my attention back to Claire and the others. The five guards they were fighting before has dwindled to three. Three on three. Better odds.

I join them. Four on three. Preferable odds. "Hey guys, how's its going?" I ask.

Claire winces as the human she fights, punches her in the ribs. An audible crack is heard.

"Could be better." She manages through gasped breath.

The old woman from the cell, too is in human form. I'm unaware of her abilities as of right now.

Speaking of which, her eyes turned from purple to blinding white, and the man attacking Claire, screams in fear and grips the sides of his head. Dropping to the floor, he rolls around, muttering in a hushed whisper to himself.

"What is he doing? What did she do to him?" I ask Emilia through the link.

"She reached into his mind and showed him his worst fear." She replies.

As she says that, the man begins to shake on the spot, unmoving, his mouth opening and closing like a fish as he attempts to scream, but no sound comes out.

The five seconds of relief Claire got didn't last long, as another fighter came to challenge her. Alongside him, another man came, heading towards Emilia. He eyed both me and the older woman wearily. Clearly scared by my status and her abilities.

It appears they misjudged my friends for weaker opponents, as Emilia quickly brought one to the ground, and Claire managed to get a good shot on the other.

But it wasn't good enough. The first fighter, much larger than Claire, changed into his wolf and pushed her to the ground, claws digging into her chest, piercing her already broken rib.

She screamed in pain, before passing out. "Damn it." I mutter through the link. "Emilia is there anything you can do?"

"Not right now, but maybe you could. Like you said, your abilities aren unknown as of now, maybe now is a good chance to see what you bring to the group?" She laughs.

I let out a low growl which has everyone turning away or flattening their ears. "Not funny. Not the time. I'll see what I can do. Cover me. Just in case."

"Sorry you're right. Of course." She replies.

I rush over to a collapsed Claire. Dammit, I should have helped. Why did I just stand there like I was all high and mighty?

Power rush. Izzy says, clearly awake and spectating now.

You defeated the alpha. You were running on adrenaline. Using your wolf brain, not your human brain.

I don't have a human brain. I reply. That's kinda the point of us being a hybrid.

Why don't you try heal her? We're a powerful wolf right? Maybe we could.

...

I don't know. Just a suggestion. I read it in a book once.

I smile at that. Goddess what books do you read?

Not the point. Just try something. Anything. It's our fault she's in this mess. She should have been safe with Nathan, getting on with her life, and we barged in, and ruined that for her.

She's here of her own accord. She didn't have to help us. I remind her.

I pad over to Claire's lifeless body, if not for the shaking rise and fall of her chest. Okay, let me try something.

Healing. Healing... how do I do this? Can I do this?

I try to remember the feeling of the heat in my veins as Emilia burned us inside out. I imagine it racing through my blood. My strength. My power. My life source. Flowing through my limbs, seeping out of my pores, out of my body with every breath.

I place a paw over her chest, feeling the faint beat of her heart, and nuzzle her face with mine. I picture my energy flowing out with my breath. I exhale, she inhales. My strength being carried into her lungs. Seeping from my pads, absorbed through her skin, reaching her bloodstream. Directly into her heart.

She jolts awake and I stumble. I feel the energy drain as hers grows. We're probably at 30% energy capacity, with Bella and her human form still healing, and mine significantly worn out.

You did it. Isabella comments.

Stepping back slightly, I allow Claire to adjust to her surroundings. She grips my fur and uses my body to pull herself up.

"Is it nearly over?" She asks quietly, clearly exhausted.

I look towards Emilia in her fox form who is finishing off both fighters. They fall to the floor with a thud.

"Yup." She replies, letting out a victory yip. "Let's get out of here."

Scanning the room, I notice all the fighters are gone, apart from those on the floor, and those fussing over pussy cat in the corner. The path to the main doors are clear.

We make our way over, trotting, walking and stumbling towards our freedom.

Claire pushes open the door and we tumble out, only to find more guards heading our way. Eight to be exact.

"You have got to be kidding me." She mutters.

Emilia takes the lead, I trail behind her. It makes sense for us to lead as we are fasting in animal form and can clear the way to allow safe passage for the others.

Emilia's fur bristles with energy, and sparks erupt along her hackles, trailing down her tail, coating her paws.

God that is so cool. Isabella quips, seemingly recovered from the previous ordeal, clearly forgetting the pain such a strength caused.

Emilia speeds up, and jumps, landing forepaws down, pouncing almost. The contact with the ground, send a trail of fire towards one of the guards. As it moves, it fizzles out. It looks almost like a single flame moving in a straight line.

Breathing some of my strength and energy in Emilia's direction, she channels it, using it to create a wall of fire either side of us as we move forwards.

Glancing back, I notice how it still fizzles out after a short while, seconds. We have to move faster.

I let out a bark, urging the others forwards.

Emilia falls back, running parallel to me now. She's getting tired.

"You okay Emilia?" I ask.

She lets out a noise a-kin to a mhmm and pushes forth.

"How you guys doing?" I ask Claire and the other woman. Whose name I still do not know.

As we approach the other seven guards, I let out an authoritative, warning growl. Letting them know not to challenge me.

They slink away in submission. Allowing us to pass. Little alpha boy won't like that. Oh well.

We finally reach the tree line. And collapse on the ground. We must have ran for a full mile after that fight. Why is their pack house so far away from any trees?

The snap of a twig is heard, and I prick my ears towards the danger.

But I wasn't fast enough. A pack member darts out, targeting Claire. Emilia let's out a final blast of fire, this one firing through the air, hitting the wolf in the chest. He erupts in flames, and the force launches him towards a tree.

He thuds against it, before rolling around on the floor, trying to dampen the fire. It quickly fizzles out, and he scampers out of there like a puppy.

Emilia falls to the floor. Unconscious. Why does this keep happening?

Her body transitions into its human form. Once again the only sign of life is the rise and fall of her chest.

I don't have the energy to give her life force right now. So I crouch to the floor and try to scoop her up underneath me.

She's on my back for a few seconds, before slowly sliding off the other side and landing in a heap.

Sorry em. I think to myself.

Ouch. Isabella laughs.

"A little help guys?"

Claire and the woman rush to my side and settle Emilia on my back. It will be easier to carry her in wolf form than human, so looks like I'm stuck like this for a little while longer. Not that I'm complaining. It's been nice not having to hide away.

Although if we cross territories, it may be smart to change back into human form. Worst case someone may recognise Isabella from the gypsy camp, rather than a powerful wolf, which could mean further danger.

"Claire do you know where the pack border is? We should be safe on the other side. At least for now."

Claire nods and shifts into her wolf form, allowing her to carry the woman. Meaning we can move faster.

"This way." She states.

The sun is setting towards the west, letting fans of light stream through the trees in their brilliant colours.

We trot at an even pace until night falls and the moon climbs high in the sky, joining the stars on their dark silk blanket.

Moon goddess guide us to safety. I pray

Soon enough, Claire stops. The woman on her back, snoring peacefully under the light of the night sky.

"Well, we've made it to the border."

[Word count: 4218]

So there you have it. They made it out, not without some injuries of course, but they did it.

Read on to see what trouble their journey gets them into next.

- Bri xox